Wagon-road construction.



N0. 654,7ol. Patented July 3|, |900. c. w. BAKER. N

WAGON ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

(Appxieation med .rune 12, 1897.)

V(un Model.)

INVENTOR:

WITNESSES;

TH: Nonms Para: ou. Pno'rmlfno.. wub-Immun. ne

itl'ivirnn STATES f PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES IVI-IITING BAKER, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO MENARD K. BOWEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; ALLEN D; BOWEN Y EXECU- TRIX OF SAID MENARD K. BOWEN, DECEASED.

WAGON-ROADJCOANSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,701, dated July 31, 1900.

Anniictmuaiediun12.1897. sprain() @40am (ummm T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WRITING BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montclair, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Road Construction; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and accurate description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of highways for ordinary wagons or vehicles, and more particularly to the construction of a girder road-rail adapted to accommodate and retain upon its upper surface the wheels ofrwagons or any vehicles having flangeless wheels that may be driven upon it.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure l illustrates a vertical cross-section of a roadrail constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a single-track wagon-road having two of the rails in position, and Fig. 3 is a similar section of onehalf of a double-track wagon-roadway with rails similar to that of Fig. l in place.

It is well known that ordinary streets or highways when subjected toheavy' traffic, even though protected by macadam, asphalt,

or paving-blocks, are liable ,to wear into ruts and uneven surfaces. My invention is adapted to avoid such results by making provision for a steel track on which all Wagons, and particularly those carrying heavy loads, may run. 4

In order to carry out my invention, I prepare a girder road-rail substantially similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1, having 4united in an integral structure a base 1, a web 2, and a tread or upper bearing-'surface 3, which is adapted to the sole purpose for which it is intended-n'amely, to accommodate and retain the wheels of ordinary wagons oranysimilar vehicles having iiat or flangeless wheels. The rail may be made of steel or similar material, and it may be rolled or otherwise made of the propershape and of any desired length. I propose to make the upper or bearing surface of such shape that it will retain the wagonwheels thereon and at the same time allow i the wagon to be readily turned on and ed the track as occasion demands. In the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 this bearing-surface or tread 3 of the integrally-formed girderrail is made concave, and this will enable me to accomplish the desired result.

In Fig. 2 is illustrated a mode of construction of a single-track roadway in which two lines of rails, such as are illustrated in Fig. l, are employed. The rails 4 4 are shown embedded in a layer ofconcrete, macadam, or similar material 5 and joined together by tie bars or braces 6. If desired, a further foundation may be made, as of Telford blocks '7. In this construction I prefer that the roadbed of concrete or macadam be extended on either side of the rails, so that wagons going in opposite directions may pass without the wheels of either wagon leaving the macadam.

In Fig. 3-is shown a cross-section of one track of a double-track roadway employing rails according to my invention. The rails 4 4 are embedded in the concrete or similar material, as in Fig.` 2; but the tie-bars are omitted and the material in which the rails are embedded is relied upon to' h old them in position, although these tie-bars may be eln-- ployed, `if desired,- asin Fig. 2.

It will be observed that by the manner of constructing and employing my road-rails I secure great solidity and firmness, for when the macadam or concrete or Vasphaltum is closely compacted against the web 2 of the -rail both the base 1 and the upper part or tread 3` have a rm support to rest upon. This will enable the rail to carry a heavier load and render it less liable to lateral mo-V tion than if the base only were resting upon asupport.

I am aware that it has been proposed to make a steel wagon-road employing a rail made from a piece of iiat steel or iron rolled into a groove or concave form; but it is believed that such a construction is impracticable owing, among other things, to the iinpossibility of joining the ends of the rails together, and I do not claim such a construe# tion, as I believe an integrally-made girderrail to be the only one practicable for the purposes herein stated; I am also aware of girder-rails constructed for the flanged Wheels of street-cars and having lateral flanges vor treads on which wagon-wheels may run, and n I disclaimsuch construction.

I n using the termwagon, or Wagonroad herein I jdo not limit'myself to, their" narrow orrestricted meanings; but I include as the equivalent of Wagon all vehicles, whether propelled by animal or mechanical power, such as are ordinarily adapted torun on roadways of dirt, macadam, or other pavements and such as have iiat tires or flange-Y less Wheels. Y,

I claim- 1. In Wagon-road construction, a metallic' girder-rail 4having a base, a web and a tread formed integrally with the tread substantially over the web and having means to accommodate and retain only flangeless wheels 'of vehicles.

2; In Wagon-road construction, a metallic girder-rail having, integrally formed, a base, a'web, and a tread concaveon its upper surface with the tread substantially over the web and having means to accommodate and retain wheels of vehicles with flat or iangeless tires.

I CHARLES WHITING BAKER. Witnesses:

F. W. FROST, H. R. KEITHLEY.' 

